French has several language features that may seem unfamiliar at first—accents, special characters, silent letters, and more.
If you are a beginner, understanding these French language peculiarities early on can significantly improve your pronunciation, writing, and comprehension.
What makes French language unique?
Every language has its own set of peculiarities. In French, these peculiarities include accents, special characters, pronunciation rules like liaison, and silent letters.
While they may seem like small details at first, they have a significant impact and understanding them is essential for anyone aiming to speak and write French with confidence.
French accents
When thinking about French language peculiarities, most students immediately think of accents.
In French, accents are placed on vowels, and they play a crucial role in pronunciation and meaning. There are 4 main accents every beginner should become familiar with:
- L’accent aigu (é): It is used only on e, it creates a sharp sound, as in café (coffee).
- L’accent grave (à, è, ù): It indicates open vowel sounds or helps differentiate words, like ou (or) vs. où (where).
- L’accent circonflexe (â, ê, î, ô, û): It often marks a historical letter (usually an s) that has disappeared, e.g., forêt (forest) or hôpital (hospital).
- Le tréma (ë, ï, ü): It signals that a vowel should be pronounced separately, as in Noël (Christmas).
These accents aren’t just decorative—they influence pronunciation and can change the meaning of a word. Here are some examples easy to understand for beginners:
| With Accent | Without Accent | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ou (or) | où (where) | Thé ou café ? Tea or coffee? Où est la gare ? Where is the station? |
| des (some) | dès (from / starting at) | Des enfants jouent Some children are playing Dès demain Starting tomorrow |
| la (feminine article) | là (there) | La voiture est rouge The car is red Elle est là She is there |
| sur (on) | sûr (sure) | Le livre est sur la table The book is on the table Je suis sûr I’m sure |
Unique signs and characters in French
Another common challenge among French language peculiarities is the use of special symbols. French includes a few unique characters that may be unfamiliar to beginners:
- La cédille (ç): It turns a hard c into a soft s sound before a, o, or u, like in garçon (boy).
- La ligature (œ): It is a combination of o and e, found in words like sœur (sister) and cœur (heart).
- L’apostrophe (’): It indicates elision—where a vowel is dropped to make speech flow more smoothly. Example: l’homme instead of le homme (men).
Liaison (linking words smoothly)
Liaison is a key feature of spoken French. It occurs when a normally silent consonant at the end of a word is pronounced because the following word begins with a vowel or a silent h.
For example, vous avez is pronounced vou-z-avez (you have), and les enfants sounds like lé-z-enfants (the kids).
This makes French sound fluid and more melodic, but it can be tricky for beginners. Knowing when to use it correctly takes practice. One of the best ways to learn naturally is through full immersion. When you’re surrounded by native French speakers all day, you’ll start picking up liaisons without even realizing it.
Contact us to find out how we can help you learn French in France.
Silent letters
French is full of silent letters—especially at the ends of words. Common examples include:
- Vous (you): the s is silent unless a liaison follows as per the example given above.
- Petit (small): the final t is typically not pronounced.
- Temps (time) or Champs (field): the final ps is silent.
How French compares to other languages
English has fewer accents, and they rarely affect meaning. French, on the other hand, relies on accents for correct pronunciation and word differentiation. English pronunciation is also less predictable.
Both French and Italian share Latin roots and similar vocabulary. However, Italian pronunciation is more phonetic and consistent. French includes more silent letters and more nuanced pronunciation rules, like liaison and nasal sounds.
Learn more about the similarities and differences between French and Italian, or between French and English. And for more language tips, explore our Go! Go! France blog!
